1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to evaporative cooling devices for individual use such as personal misting devices, and, more particularly, to a portable or personal misting device that uses a manually-operated fan rather than a battery-operated fan and that, in most cases, does not direct spray through spinning fan blades.
2. Relevant Background
Portable misting devices are used worldwide to allow individuals to cool themselves while attending sporting events and other outdoor activities such as amusement parks. In general, these devices make use of evaporative cooling and provide a mist of water on a person's skin that is then evaporated by air flowing from a fan. In other words, existing misting devices typically provide a combination of a battery operated fan to provide a flow of air and a pump adapted to provide an atomized mist spray of water. While misting devices have been widely popular, there is a demand for new designs that address problems with existing products such as their weight and cost and to also expand the existing market size.
Existing spray misting devices use a portable-sized fan for creating a cooling airflow with well-know rotary fans that are battery powered. The use of batteries and a battery-powered fan motor causes the misting device to be relatively heavy. The batteries also increase the overall cost of the devices and present other issues such as a need to periodically replace the batteries (e.g., the fan may stop working in the middle of an event) and to handle the disposal of the batteries in an environmentally safe manner. Hence, it would be desirable to provide a personal mister device that does not require use of batteries.
A typical misting device includes a body or bottle with a hollow interior that holds a volume of liquid and an applicator or pump assembly for providing an atomized mist spray of the liquid. A clip assembly is provided for securing the liquid container or body to the rear of a rotary fan unit so that the applicator or pump outlet is located in proximity to the fan blades. During use, a user of the device presses on a finger trigger or lever of a pump, and the applicator generates an atomized mist spray. The water is delivered in a direction the fan blades are directing air to create a current of air to deliver the mist and water to a user's skin. The atomized water is sprayed through the spinning fan blades, and this is effective for delivering the water to the user but causes other problems. Specifically, some of the mist of each spray contacts and collects on the fan blades. This water then is wicked rapidly to the ends of the blades and whipped off as drops of water, which may strike the user or, more typically, other people located to the side of the person holding the misting device. A number of misting device designs have attempted to resolve the problem with misdirected and leaking water, and these designs often have included a water shield or collection device positioned about the periphery of the fan blades. The water then may drip down the shield onto the users hands or into an additional collection reservoir. There remains a demand for an improved design for delivering atomized water or mist that addresses problems with spraying water through rotating fan blades.